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Increasing Processing Power of DIY and Hobbyist Development Boards

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Ever since Arduino came into being, development boards have become a very common tool among engineers trying to design various kinds of circuits. The market is flooded with development boards with all sorts of features. Any requirement you might have, there is a development board for it. You want to prototype for the Internet of Things (IoT), you have a whole set; you want industrial grade, there is a different line; so on and so forth.

Aided by the open source movement, these boards provide a backbone for electronics designers. Most of these solutions consist of connections that are pre-made and require simply adding the finishing touches. Priced as low as a ₹ 200, these boards can get you started on the way to becoming a circuit designer.

Increased availability of development boards

The availability of inexpensive development boards and the possibility of creating projects have been blessings for designers. Prakash Mohapatra, product manager, Toradex, says, “The extensive ecosystem of both hardware and software, backed by strong community support and low upfront cost, make these an ideal choice for hobbyists and academicians.”

These boards are now being used for prototyping circuits before these go into production. For hobbyists, these have come in handy. Automated plant watering systems or automated garage openers have become mainstream projects, thanks to the development boards. Plugging a cable and simply controlling the boards from a computer makes it sound so easy.

Tough competition for development.

Be it a simple garage door opener or a fire breathing robot, Arduino is what comes to mind as the design solution. Initially aimed at hobbyists, the range of Arduino boards has now become a means to test and prototype projects before going into production. It is an attractive solution for professional engineers as a low-cost method for validating a project’s design and quickly building a prototype. The availability combined with a wide variety of possible applications make it a very interesting solution for hobbyists and industrialists alike. But it is not just Arduino that is making a name for itself.

Most companies that have launched microcontrollers in the past decade have seen development support as vital—continuing a trend to support low-volume users. In some cases, microcontroller and software vendors have Arduino as a target for their own product development.

Of late, many new boards have entered the market. For engineers looking to try development, Tivaware from Texas Instruments is a lucrative option. It is compatible with Code Composer and Energia that give a hands-on experience for academicians looking to enter development professionally.

Curiosity boards from Microchip are also an interesting addition. Based on PIC32 microcontroller, these allow for the IoT and connectivity application development.

Mbed initiative from ARM is another option for programmers. It provides an ecosystem for the development of IoT devices, so that part-time developers can join the race.

And, if things were not diversified enough, developers have successfully added JavaScript and .Net platforms to the mainstream environment of C and C++ for usage in development boards to allow software aficionados to enter the game.

Ever since the launch of Raspberry Pi, the definition of computing has changed radically. Tinkerers have started using Raspberry Pi to make robots, data accumulators, phones and desktop computers. Applications are only limited by one’s imagination.

BeagleBoard is another popular board for engineers who like working on Linux. The top-of-the-line board consists of 2GB DDR3 RAM and 4GB 8-bit e-MMC onboard flash memory. With 3xUSB 3.0, eSATA, HDMI and 2xEthernet, it is a serious contender for top performance in development boards.

This board finds a strong contender in UDOO X86 Ultra, which sports a quad-core Intel N3710 SoC clocked at 2.56GHz. Icing on the cake is Intel HD 405 graphics on board, which are supported by 8GB DDR3 RAM. Come to think of it, my PC has got poorer configuration, much poorer!

An increasing number of interface options

A lot of development boards come with a multitude of interface options ranging from the very popular USB to technical ports like RS232. T. Anand, technical architect, Knewron, says, “Interfaces like MOD-BUS, RS232 or peripheral component interconnect (PCI) slots still exist and could be prominently seen on industrial boards, while general-purpose boards usually have USB interfaces.”

Arduino, for example, offers Registered Jack 45 (RJ45) and USB 2.0, among others, for connecting and loading programs from a computer. Most ARM based devices include a Joint Test Action Group (JTAG) interface. This can be used to program on-chip or external flash, or load directly into RAM. The JTAG is also the interface for on-chip debug and trace features. Wireless is also being used as one of the interfaces.

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What Is An FPGA?

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In this video, the presenter will be giving a brief introduction to Field Programming Gate Array (FPGA) including how they work, and the advantages and disadvantages. He also compares it with microcontroller.

Courtesy: EEVblog


The post What Is An FPGA? appeared first on Electronics For You.

Artificial Machines Standardizes on EDA Design Solutions to Develop Smart Machine IP

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Strategic partnership poised to shape evolving smart machine design in India

Mentor, a Siemens business, today announced that Artificial Machines, has standardized on Mentor electronic design automation (EDA) design solutions. The competitive replacement includes leading-edge Mentor solutions such as Xpedition printed circuit board (PCB) design, Hyperlynx simulation, Valor manufacturing validation and ASIC chip design tools. The Mentor portfolio provides Artificial Machines with an end-to-end electronic product design pipeline for its HAZE platform, and represents a significant infrastructure advance for the Artificial Machines design team.

Artificial Machines (AM) is a technology company working with some of the world’s largest consumer electronics and automotive companies. As a result of this technology partnership with Mentor, AM will benefit from a comprehensive product design process. AM will now be able to develop products from the simplest electronics to the most advanced Android systems using Mentor solutions, and Mentor tools will play a critical role in the design infrastructure of India’s SMART machine industry.

“We have an excellent track record of investing in startups at an early stage and growing along with them to achieve mutual success. We are certain that the synergetic technology partnership with Artificial Machines will foster the growth of companies in the design world ecosystem in India,” said Raghu Panicker, Country Sales Director, Mentor India. “We are confident that Artificial Machines’ choice of Mentor’s leading-edge EDA design solutions will not only accelerate their growth and market reach, but have a positive impact on the region’s SMART machine design industry.”

“We are excited to work with Mentor. Their commitment to make us one of the most comprehensive electronic product design companies in the world is greatly appreciated,” said Manish Buttan, CEO and founder, Artificial Machines. “Compared to a typical PCB Design Company, which uses just a few tools, Artificial Machines will now have the most comprehensive and high-end design tools, and our HAZE Customers will now enjoy Tier 1 tools for all their consumer electronics and automotive products.”


 

The post Artificial Machines Standardizes on EDA Design Solutions to Develop Smart Machine IP appeared first on Electronics For You.

Solving The Software Needs Of An Instrumentation Engineer

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DesignSpark Electrical (design and simulation)

Enhance your CAD capabilities with DesignSpark Electrical. This tool allows creation of detailed and accurately scaled 2D cabinet layouts, which can be accomplished by simply dragging and dropping 2D footprints of devices from the browser into the design. Not only that, there are ancillary parts such as rails, ducting and cabinets that help build designs.

Everybody is looking for software with professional CAD capabilities, and this software assures that you complete designs with great accuracy and precision. The software is full of features like automated wire and device numbering, built-in library, real-time configuration checker and automated reports for a faster design development.

Download the latest version of this software


SPIM (design and simulation)

SPIM simulator is designed to read and execute assembly language programs written for MIPS32 processor. MIPS architectures help in a better understanding of RISC. The software is lightweight and needs minimum operating system requirements. Although there is a debugger on board, it does not execute binary-compiled programs. SPIM implements almost the entire MIPS32 assembler-extended instruction set. There are several MIPS architectures available, and this simulator is only designed to handle 32-bit integers and addresses.

Download the latest version of this software


DesignSpark PCB (PCB)

As the name suggests, this PCB tool can help you design innovative PCB boards and layouts. At the core of this tool is a software engine that supports numerous schematic sheets and PCB layout files that can be translated with PCB Wizard. With an interactive user interface and PCB editor on board, it is quite easy to refine physical layouts that have been already designed. This software also includes an auto-router that automatically places tracks between components on a PCB layout. Components can also be auto-placed. Once this refining process is complete, PCB layouts can be passed down for production.

Download the latest version of this software


openSCADA (SCADA)

SCADA, which stands for supervisory control and data acquisition, is a dedicated software application program for process control, real-time data gathering from remote locations to control equipment and conditions. openSCADA is a companion project to Eclipse SCADA. It is platform-independent, which means it can be installed onto any platform or operating system. Most suitable applications areas include manufacturing industries and power generation units.

Download the latest version of this software


NOOBS (utility)

New Out Of Box Software (NOOBS) is an operating system that is coded to make Raspberry Pi easier to use by simplifying its installation. Once the software installs onto the computer, you may connect Raspberry Pi and get started. All you need to do is select the operating system to get into its user interface and start using the programming tools or games, or even start building a home automation project on your own.

Download the latest version of this software


 

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Color-Adjustable Smart Lighting Reference Design

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12 W LED downlight design features sophisticated dimming and color management over Bluetooth using smartphone application

SAN JOSE, Calif. – August 1, 2017 – Power Integrations (Nasdaq: POWI), and Casambi Technologies OY today announced a new reference design, DER-612, describing a constant-voltage (CV), constant-current (CC) 12-watt isolated flyback power supply with power factor correction for smart lighting applications. The design includes a 3.3 V power supply to drive a Casambi CBM-001 Bluetooth® wireless module, which provides convenient dimming and color management control of the four-string LED load from 0 mA to 400 mA. The power supply operates over a universal input voltage range of 90 VAC to 265 VAC and achieves greater than 0.8 power factor across all line conditions.

The design is based on Power Integrations’ InnoSwitch-CH power supply controller, which combines primary, secondary and feedback circuits in a single surface-mounted offline flyback switcher IC. The IC incorporates the primary FET, the primary-side controller and a secondary-side synchronous rectification controller. The device also includes Power Integrations’ magneto-coupling communications technology, FluxLink, which safely bridges the isolation barrier and eliminates the need for an optocoupler. Secondary-side control enables highly accurate constant-voltage regulation and an ultra-fast step load response while simple PWM control eliminates the need for a secondary DC/DC regulator. The high efficiency and very low standby power of the IC eliminates the need for additional heatsinks and enables customers to create solutions that meet demanding DOE-6 regulations. A built-in secondary-side auxiliary power output supports RF and MCU control circuitry.

CBM-001 is a Class 2 embedded Bluetooth 4.0 module designed for LED lighting control applications, light fixtures and LED bulbs. It is pre-programmed with Casambi’s proprietary firmware, making it completely compatible with other Casambi enabled devices. CBM-001 is controlled wirelessly with Casambi smartphone and tablet applications using the Bluetooth 4.0 protocol. Devices automatically form a self-healing and self-organizing wireless mesh network so that a large number of fixtures can be controlled from any point. No external gateway module is needed.

Comments Hubie Notohamiprodjo, director of product marketing for LED lighting at Power Integrations: “Smart lighting systems monitor and control sophisticated home and workplace lighting installations. The standby power needed for the control subsystem often negates any savings that high efficiency LEDs offer. Casambi’s low quiescent current draw combined with the very low standby consumption of InnoSwich-CH optimizes standby performance while maintaining instant light availability.”

Adds Timo Pakkala, CEO and co-founder at Casambi: “The Power Integrations InnoSwitch-CH power supply controller has excellent efficiency, particularly at light load. This allows our module to operate continuously and effectively, resulting in a great user experience with high performance and scalability.”


 

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The need for calibration and how to improve it

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Mistakes are an integral part of human life. Some mistakes can have a larger impact than the others, and this calls for an application to be tested, inspected and certified before handing it over for usage. This has led to a lot of standards and regulations to come up. Electrotechnical Assessment Scheme (EAS), for example, governs the requirements of a suitable system to ensure consistency of instruments.

Since most test instruments involve electronics, a lot can go wrong due to the sensitive components involved. This requires regular calibration of equipment to keep these up to date. However, the bigger issue is the compromise of performance in handheld equipment over benchtop ones.

Handheld vs benchtop equipment

“There are certain challenges in reducing the form factor while providing better performance and specifications,” says V. Mahadevan, managing director, VigVen Tech Mark Pvt Ltd. Reducing the form factor means removing certain components and compromising in certain areas.

Proper calibration requires fine-tuning the measurements
Proper calibration requires fine-tuning the measurements

Handheld equipment minimise board design and hence, avoid components that generate too much heat. This allows removal of heat-sinks and helps the equipment in field usage. Field equipment go through much worse conditions than benchtop ones and therefore ruggedising these is necessary. From performance perspective, these are equally efficient, generally.

Calibrating the equipment is important.

“While on a mission to planet Mars, you do not want to accidently land up on the Moon,” says Mahadevan. Often, calibration is either hyped or completely ignored as a technical jargon by government departments to dissuade new suppliers.

Calibration is important as equipment begin to develop marginal errors over time. Establishing an effective method to define the accuracy of test equipment becomes paramount when an incorrect measurement could lead to drastic results down the line.

Post calibration, a certificate is provided that mentions the next calibration due date. However, the equipment can start having accuracy issues earlier, depending on usage.

Prioritizing ISO certifications over calibration.

ISO certifications are often given importance over calibration, according to Mahadevan. The role of calibration is of prime importance when you consider long-term usage of the equipment. It is only natural for the test equipment to deviate from accurate measurements over time.

With improved access to calibration facilities there can be reduction in return on investment period for the equipment. However, a lot of focus still needs to be given to improving calibration standards.

High-resolution equipment are good for precise measurements (image Courtesy: 123RF)
High-resolution equipment are good for precise measurements

Points to consider.

Calibration labs are the Mecca for test and measurement. These are supposed to be decked with the best and brightest to ensure reliability. The calibration equipment must be of top quality and maintained regularly. However, there is little to no information available on calibration facilities.

Need for regular calibration arises out of various phases that the equipment goes through. A certificate of calibration is usually valid for a period of 12 months, but the instrument may require regular assessments in between calibrations as well. On the other hand, faults develop over time due to rough usage, too. This process is especially fast in field test equipment.

Some faults develop over time.

Fused test leads are an interesting solution to look at in terms of safety and usage. Besides ease of handling, fused leads have the advantage of allowing standard connecting clips, probes and adaptors to be used for measurements. Fuses within the test leads operate in the event of a fault between the test leads external to the instrument or between a test lead and earth, both of which are faults that could have very serious consequences.

Additionally, leads could go faulty due to the various pressures put on these over the course of time, namely, coiling, twisting and squeezing into boxes. Faulty leads play a major role in inaccurate measurements. Hence, it is advisable to change cables at regular intervals.

Fuses in test equipment are also an area to be looked at. High breaking capacity fuses, usually not exceeding 500mA, are more prevalent in test leads. Fuses in test equipment are commonly rated at 440V, 10kA. Together, these act as dual protectors for the equipment so that more sensitive parts of the device stay unharmed.

However, high power is not the only cause for unreliable measurements. Low-powered devices like handheld equipment often work on batteries. Even with the best of test equipment, if batteries are insufficiently powering the device, unreliable measurements are bound to occur. A low battery symbol usually gives the warning. It always helps to use fresh batteries in such cases.

Improving performance for tomorrow

For improving equipment quality and improving measurements, “Unlearning what we did yesterday to transition for what we need tomorrow is important,” says Mahadevan. The needs are changing and the equipment need to be designed keeping in mind the current requirements.

Demolition of cross-functional silos that exist between the software and hardware teams is critical to achieve relevance.

Calibration standards must also improve in India. For this, huge impetus in the form of government investments in standards labs is a must to have a reliable community for the test and measurement industry.


Feel interested? Check out other test and measurement stories.

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Betty: The Super Power to Save Power

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Electricity bills form a major part of office and household running costs. For organisations, average electricity consumption accounts for 19 per cent of the running expenditure.

Traditionally, in India meter readings are taken manually, which quite often end up as ‘round-off’ or ‘approximate’ figures. Moreover, users do not get to see exactly how they are spending on their electricity and thus figure out ways to lower the bills.

Thankfully, the smart age of connected devices has given us ample new options that inform us about our energy usage and ways to lower it. One such option is Betty by Beyond Evolution, which merits attention due to its affordable price.

The inception

Betty—The energy monitoring and security plug

Saurabh Sharma, co-founder and CEO of Beyond Evolution, saw the opportunity in controlling the power consumption of everyday appliances and easing the burden of electricity cost for the common man. Quite often users forget to switch off electrical appliances during power cuts, leaving the appliances running when the power resumes. This not only wastes power but also poses fire risk.

“Our intent was not to become a so-called ‘home-automation’ solution provider. Betty has been designed for the more common challenges faced by majority of the people. Home automation may indicate a form of luxury, while Betty targets to address the day-to-day necessities,” explains Sharma.

The whole thought process kick-started R&D initiatives, which took 18 months to develop the complete solution. Betty can in-situ measure appliance energy consumption, set auto-control (automatic ‘on’ and ‘off’) schedules as well as electricity usage thresholds, provide energy usage analytics, and, more interestingly, notify users of any security breach.

Being a newcomer in the manufacturing arena, the company had to scale a steep learning curve. Limited funds were another challenge. To start the fund inflow, the company kicked off with mobile application development and attracted significant customers. Once the production seemed financially feasible, they started off with the Betty project. Expensive components added to the trouble. Getting a fair deal from mould providers and coming up with mould designs was also not easy.

Time to talk science

Scheduling different appliances on the Be-Connected app
Scheduling different appliances on the Be-Connected app

Betty is a GSM-enabled 16-ampere monitoring plug-cum-security device, which, when connected to any appliance, helps control it remotely through Be-Connected mobile application or the web application (supporting Android as well as iOS) developed by the company. The solution also provides customers with major consumption data and insights that help them reduce energy wastage, slashing their utility bills and giving them full device control. Betty connects to an input plug-point like any normal plug. The appliance to be used is connected thereafter.

When the user logs into Be-Connected mobile application and sets a schedule, the application connects to the cloud server; the company uses Amazon Web Services. The server triggers a command to Betty, which acts accordingly.

The Betty circuit primarily consists of an SMPS, a GSM-PCB (comprising majorly a GSM modem, current sensors, motion sensor and a microcontroller) and, finally, relay sections. When a device is plugged into Betty, the SMPS scales the current in accordance with the device capacity and forwards it to the GSM-PCB. Current sensors in the PCB detect the current consumed and the information is relayed to the microcontroller, where calculations take place. The data is calculated in the form of power consumption and currency, and displayed on the mobile application. As wireless connection is established through GSM, the user needs to have a network-enabled SIM card inserted into Betty.

The device runs smoothly on 2G speed, so slow network barely affects its functioning. Sharma shares the reason behind the choice of GSM support over Wi-Fi: “India is improving in its Wi-Fi connectivity, but it is still not in the best condition. Even 3G or 4G is not 100 per cent reliable. In comparison, 2G is ever-pervasive. It is available even outdoors.”

Once an on/off schedule is set, the information is stored in the server. Even if the mobile application is not working during the schedule, it will not impact the functioning of Betty. The device also has manual control buttons. Even 6-ampere appliances can be handled using a 6A-16A converter. Monitoring data from Betty is consistently stored on the server. In case mobile Internet is not available on Betty’s SIM, the device can locally hold consumption data for up to eight hours, which is displayed to the customer when the network returns.

If security mode is selected in the mobile application, the plug’s motion sensors will detect any kind of movement within a 9-metre (30-feet) radius and instantly trigger an alarm on the user’s mobile application.

The application allows user management, i.e., multiple users can have permission to handle the application and functions of Betty. All authorised users will receive notifications at the same time and get access to the data and controls.

The post Betty: The Super Power to Save Power appeared first on Electronics For You.

R-Car SoC Accelerates Development of In-Vehicle Infotainment Applications

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TOKYO, August 7, 2017 ― Renesas Electronics Corporation (TSE:6723), today announced that it has started volume shipment of its first R-Car system-on-chip (SoC) incorporating Automotive Grade Linux (AGL)-based software. AGL is a cross-industry effort to develop a fully open software stack for the connected car.

Renesas considers AGL as an essential step to expand the base of software developers. The Renesas R-Car Starter Kit and AGL-based software is accelerating the development of automotive in-vehicle infotainment (IVI) applications, and moving automakers closer to the realization of connected cars. Renesas is a platinum member of the AGL Collaborative Project, and automakers such as Toyota Motor Corporation are participating to promote open source software development. By supporting these activities, Renesas anticipates it will become possible for more system manufacturers to easily develop automotive applications, even for developers who are not accustomed to embedded application software development, which will contribute to accelerating IVI deployments.

Renesas’ first R-Car SoC incorporating AGL platform-based software has started volume shipment for Toyota’s new 2018 Camry which is scheduled to debut late this summer in the U.S. and will be Toyota’s first car model to run Automotive Grade Linux (AGL) software for its infotainment system.

“Toyota and Renesas have promoted AGL activities together from the very start. By adopting Renesas’ R-Car SoC for our infotainment system of the new 2018 Toyota Camry, we managed to promote system developments in cooperation with both Renesas and AGL,” said Kenichi Murata, Group Manager of Connected Strategy & Planning, Connected Company at Toyota Motor Corporation. “Moving forward, I am confident that we will be able to evolve these industry standard open platforms even further and accelerate the development of new IVI systems.”

“Renesas is a passionate and active supporter of Automotive Grade Linux, The Linux Foundation and open source, and has been actively involved in the AGL community and as a board member,” said Dan Cauchy, Executive Director of Automotive Grade Linux, The Linux Foundation. “I am very delighted to see products on the market running AGL software and expect to see wider industry adoption in the near future.”

Renesas will continue to promote open source activities such as the AGL platform effort and, along with our partner companies, will lead automotive information system development in the connected-car era.

The post R-Car SoC Accelerates Development of In-Vehicle Infotainment Applications appeared first on Electronics For You.


Taking on Terrorism with Technology

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In his book Cybershock, Winn Schwartau mulls over some possible effects of a well-orchestrated electromagnetic pulses (EMP) attack upon Western infrastructure. Wall Street or other banking systems could be attacked, resulting in successive failures and huge financial losses. Aircraft avionics and guidance systems could be overloaded by targeted high-energy radio frequency, leading to potentially fatal conditions.

Medical equipment could malfunction under the attack of intense energy spikes, putting several human lives at risk. Municipal emergency services could be terminated by devastating wide-band microwave jamming, and power lines and transformers could act as highly-efficient conductors to transmit massive currents to businesses and sub-stations, leading to regional blackouts.

Terrorism is the unlawful use of force or violence against persons or property to intimidate or coerce a government, the civilian population or any segment thereof, in furtherance of political or social objectives. Terrorist groups are becoming international, dedicated, organised and structured and, year after year, emerging as a big threat to peace and prosperity. They are relying increasingly on technology to become more lethal, dangerous and difficult to combat.

The 9/11 terrorist attack on American soil killed almost 3000 people (Image courtesy: http://stevetilford.com)
Fig. 1: The 9/11 terrorist attack on American soil killed almost 3000 people (Image courtesy: http://stevetilford.com)

Their motives are not limited to political but include religious or ideological objectives, too. Modern technologies are being adapted to effectively coordinate and support their activities, collect money and spread information and propaganda. For example, using IT and the Internet, terrorists have developed sophisticated and versatile communication techniques. Bill Clinton, former president of the USA, once stated, “Our security is challenged increasingly by non-traditional threats from adversaries, both old and new, not only hostile regimes, but also international criminals and terrorists who cannot defeat us in traditional theaters of battle, but search instead for new ways to attack by exploiting new technologies and the world’s increasing openness.”

Current technologies being used to combat terrorism

There is an urgent need for leveraging internationally the expertise and research programs to develop new and improved technologies to combat terrorism. This is expected to help prevent terrorist attacks and provide militaries with improved capabilities to detect, disrupt and pursue terrorists.

There is also a need to provide the capability to deal with the effects of chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear weapons. Presently, various technological tools and techniques have been deployed to combat terrorism. Some of these technologies are fairly mature, while others show great potential but still require some years of research and development before these are fully operational.

Yet, all technologies share a common characteristic; these offer significant potential solutions to address the most pressing anti-terrorism concerns.

The technologies are:
• Directed-energy weapons
• Non-lethal weapons
• Nanotechnology
• Biometrics
• Data mining and analysis technologies
• Network-centric operations

Directed-energy weapons.

These weapons generate very high-power beams such as lasers and microwave radiations that are precisely focused to hit targets with sub-atomic particles, both to track and destroy.

Directed-energy weapons have the capability to cause casualties, damage equipment, disable targets on ground, air and sea, and provide active defence against threats from artillery, rockets, mortars, missiles and unmanned aerial vehicles.

A laser with US Naval Sea Systems Command (NSSC), which is an electromagnetic gun prototype (Image courtesy: www.occupycorporatism.com)
Fig. 2: A laser with US Naval Sea Systems Command (NSSC), which is an electromagnetic gun prototype (Image courtesy: www.occupycorporatism.com)

Non-lethal weapons.

These are employed to incapacitate personnel or material while minimising fatalities and undesired damage to property and environment. Their functions include preventing or neutralising the means of transportation such as vehicles, vessels or aircraft including those for weapons of mass destruction.

The technologies used include acoustics systems, chemicals, communications systems, electromagnetic and electrical systems, entanglement and other mechanical systems, information technologies, optical devices, non-penetrating projectiles and munitions, and more. These can be integrated with systems to make these more effective and discriminate.

terrorism in recent years

Nanotechnology.

Nanotechnology involves developing materials and complete systems at atomic, molecular or macromolecular levels where dimensions fall in the range of one to 100 nanometres. Fabrication at such nano scale offers unique capabilities, and materials can be made to have specific properties.

Among anti-terrorism applications, sensors using nanotechnology are most important. Nano-scale sensors form a weak chemical bond with the substance and then change their properties in response (such as colour change, or a change in conductivity, fluorescence or weight). As an anti-terrorism tool, nanotechnologies are relatively in their infancy stage vis-à-vis other technologies.

Biometrics.

This refers to recorded unique physical or behavioural characteristics of individuals. These are more reliable and more difficult to forget, lose, get stolen, falsified or be guessed. Biometrics can be used for verification or identification. For identification, a person’s presented biometric is compared with all biometric templates within a database.

Face recognition technology identifies individuals by analyzing several features such as the upper outlines of eye sockets and sides of the mouth
Fig. 3: Face recognition technology identifies individuals by analysing several features such as the upper outlines of eye sockets and sides of the mouth (Image courtesy: www.extremetech.com)

Five major types of biometric technologies available today are:
1. Iris recognition that relies on distinctly-coloured ring surrounding the pupil of the eye
2. Hand geometry that relies on measurements of fingers, distances between joints and the shapes of knuckles
3. Fingerprint recognition that relies on features in the impressions made by distinct ridges on fingertips
4. Face recognition that identifies individuals by analysing facial features such as the upper outlines of eye sockets or sides of the mouth
5. Voice recognition that is based on the differences in voice

The post Taking on Terrorism with Technology appeared first on Electronics For You.

Controlling DC Motors with the L298N H Bridge and Arduino

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The L298N Dual H-Bridge Motor Controller is a device which allows you to control two independent DC motors using 5V digital logic signals, such as the digital output pins of an Arduino. The L298N can also be used to control a single stepper motor or two sets of LED lighting strips.

In this tutorial, we’ll learn how to control two 6-volt DC motors with the L298N.

First, we will enlighten ourselves by learning a bit of the history of DC motors and discovering how they actually work. We will also learn what an “H-Bridge” is, how it works and how we can control the direction of rotation of a DC motor with it.

We will also discuss the concept of Pulse Width Modulation, or PWM, as it is used to control the speed of DC motors.

Then we will look at how the L288N H-Bridge module actually works, how to hook it up to a couple of motors and how to power it correctly.

Next, we will connect the L298N Dual H-Bridge Motor Controller to an Arduino. Once that’s done we’ll run a motor demo sketch to put the device through its paces.

After the demo, we will expand upon our sketch to allow a couple of potentiometers (connected to the Arduino’s analog inputs) to control the speed of each motor.

And lastly, we will replace the potentiometers with a joystick and use it to control the motors. And by using this setup, we will build an Arduino-driven car!

Courtesy: DroneBot Workshop


The post Controlling DC Motors with the L298N H Bridge and Arduino appeared first on Electronics For You.

Five Indian Technologists Created an Alternative Technology to Blockchain

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Ajith Narayanan and Manpreet Singh
Ajith Narayanan and Manpreet Singh

Five technologists from different provinces of India have created a revolutionary technology, not just an alternative to blockchain, but in some ways superior to it. It’s about RAIDA (Redundant Array of Independent Detection Agents). This is the second technology (blockchain is the first one) that helps to solve the problem of the integrity of electronic currencies, which is very typical for digital money.

Navraj Singh, Vikrant Thakur and Rasakatla Naveenkumar

Blockchain is a technology known in large part due to Bitcoin that uses it. The only thing that blockchain does, and RAIDA does not – RAIDA does not track every transaction of e-currency holders. “We believe that tracking owner transactions is unacceptable, since privacy is sacred,” says Ajith Narayanan, a programmer from Bangalore. “We want the actions of cloudcoin users to be private, and RAIDA is able to do that, it can become a full replacement for blockchain.”

CloudCoin is an electronic currency created on the basis of RAIDA technology. In a conversation, the programmers stress that they have developed an electronic currency, rather than a crypto currency. The main feature of crypto currencies is that the blockchain (it is used by all known crypto currencies) monitors, encrypts and decrypts every transaction, while RAIDA only identifies counterfeits. “Since the detection work is done simultaneously by 25 groups of servers located in different parts of the world, and the speed of light makes global communication almost instantaneous,” Navraj Singh from New Delhi explains the entire process, “it takes less than 2 seconds to detect forgeries. I’m sure that in the future that will take less than 500 milliseconds. Our goal is to let people control their money and facilitate quick payments and the exchange of services and goods around the world. In fact, our CloudCoin is capable of eliminating the latest barriers hampering the formation of the global economy.”

The Indian specialists are a team wherein everyone has a role and specialization corresponding to his strong point. Navraj Singh from New Delhi has an extensive experience in mobile applications, Ajith Narayanan from Bangalore is a rare specialist in cloud technologies, Vikrant Thakur and Manpreet Singh from Punjab successfully administer RAIDA, and Rasakatla Naveenkumar from Hyderabad provides uninterrupted server operation.

All of them believe in the future of the new currency and the new technology. “Many teams that are working on the creation of various crypto currencies are trying to bring their own variations to the technology of blockchain, but only RAIDA really found an alternative solution,” Navraj Singh is keen to explain his enthusiasm. “If bitcoin analogues, like bitcoin itself, slow down with network growth, i.e., the increase in the number of users, RAIDA only accelerates, which helps it solve the problem of project scalability.”

According to the developers, the novel technology can be used not only in currencies. For example, the copyright of a digital work, an image or text, can be provided for centuries using this technology: it is enough to incorporate a specific electronic number or code phrase. Thereafter, plagiarism will no longer be possible in the world.

In the nearest future, the CloudCoin project plans to release cloudcoins to the decentralized DEX-TRADE exchange of crypto-currencies, which allows easy buying and selling crypto-currencies and fiat money. At the end of May, a simplified version of the exchange was launched, where the owners of the new currency sell and buy cloudcoins.


 

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Compact Auto-Grade ESD Suppressors Protects Against Transients up to 30kV, Even After Multiple ESD Strikes

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Ideal for applications like automotive antennas, RF antenna systems, infotainment, and
mid to high-end electronics

Beijing, China, August 7, 2017 —Littelfuse, Inc., the global leader in circuit protection, today introduced a series of compact, surface-mount, polymer automotive-grade electrostatic discharge suppressors capable of protecting sensitive devices from contact/air discharges as high as 30kV. The AXGD Series XTREME-GUARD ESD Suppressors are specifically designed for high-frequency, high-speed applications with high voltage ratings (up to 32VDC) and extreme ESD protection requirements. Even after multiple ESD strikes, they continue to maintain extremely low leakage (<1nA); their ultra-low capacitance ensures compatibility with high-speed data line applications. These surface-mount devices, available in 0603 or 0402 footprints, have a rigid and flat top cover to simplify pick-and-place assembly and allow for more compact circuit board designs.

AXGD Series XTREME-GUARD ESD Suppressors

The AEC-Q200 qualified design of the AXGD Series XTREME-GUARD ESD Suppressor makes it ideal for automotive applications, including infotainment, automotive antennas, and RF antenna systems, as well as mid- to high-end electronics.

“The AXGD Series offers circuit designers a level of ESD suppression capability that’s competitive with or superior to popular TVS Diodes and other ESD suppressors, however these devices offer much lower capacitance and leakage current and higher voltage ratings,” said Jin Xu, senior product manager at Littelfuse. “As AEC-Q200 qualified devices, circuit designers will find them especially appealing for automotive applications.”

AXGD Series XTREME-GUARD ESD Suppressors offer these key benefits:
• High ESD withstand rating (30kV) offers greater ESD protection and higher design flexibility for enclosures, buttons and touchscreens.
• High voltage rating (24VDC for XGD10402 devices, 32VDC for XGD10603 devices) provides a wider voltage range for a broader variety of electronic devices.
• Ultra-low capacitance (just 0.04pF for XGD10402 devices, 0.09pF for XGD10603 devices) makes them ideal for high-frequency and high-speed data, video, antenna, and I/O circuits.


 

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Industry’s First Remote Control Solution for PXI Systems with Thunderbolt 3

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The new PXI Remote Control Module augments the portfolio of low-cost PXI Controllers

INDIA, Bangalore – August 7, 2017: NI (Nasdaq: NATI), the provider of platform-based systems that enable engineers and scientists to solve the world’s greatest engineering challenges, announced today the PXIe-8301 remote control module, the industry’s first solution for laptop control of PXI systems using Thunderbolt 3.

The PXIe-8301 offers PCI Express Gen 3 connectivity through two Thunderbolt 3 ports to maximize performance and delivers up to 2.3 GB/s of sustained data throughput. Engineers can use the second port to daisy chain additional Thunderbolt 3 or USB-C devices. With its modern connectivity and low price point, the PXIe-8301 makes high-performance control of PXI systems more accessible and affordable to engineers performing benchtop characterization and validation or developing portable automated test systems.

“The PXI platform has seen strong adoption with vendors and customers over the past 20 years in a broad set of applications,” said Mark Wetzel, distinguished engineer at NI and technical chair of PXI Systems Alliance. “The introduction of a remote control module using Thunderbolt 3 demonstrates the continued ability of the PXI platform to incorporate the latest commercial technologies and further its reach into high-performance, low-cost and ultraportable applications.”

The PXIe-8301 extends NI’s portfolio for low-cost PXI control, which includes the recently released embedded PXI Controller, the PXIe-8821. The PXIe-8821 is optimized for test and measurement applications, featuring a 2.6 GHz Intel Core i3-4110E dual-core processor and providing up to 2 GB/s system bandwidth. With their industrial ratings, small physical footprint and managed life cycles, embedded controllers are ideal for long-life PXI deployments into harsh operating environments.

Remote control modules and embedded controllers are an important part of the NI platform and ecosystem that engineers can use to build smarter test systems. These test systems benefit from more than 600 PXI products ranging from DC to mmWave and feature high-throughput data movement using PCI Express bus interfaces and sub-nanosecond synchronization with integrated timing and triggering. Supported by a vibrant ecosystem of partners, add-on IP and applications engineers, the NI platform helps to dramatically lower the cost of test, reduce time to market and future-proof testers for tomorrow’s challenging requirements.


 

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Water Pump Dry Run Guard

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Here is an effective solution for protection of household submersible water pumps against dry running. Minimum water-level monitoring feature in the circuit is realised using suspended sensor probes to ensure that the water pumps will not run under a dry condition. Besides, switch-on and return-delay features prevent the pumps from unwanted brief operation when handling turbulent underground water. Fig. 1 shows the author’s prototype.

Front panel of the author’s prototype
Fig. 1(a): Front panel of the author’s prototype
Author’s prototype wired on a perfboard
Fig. 1(b): Author’s prototype wired on a perfboard

Circuit and working

Circuit diagram of the water pump dry-run guard is shown in Fig. 2. It is built around 5V regulator 7805 (IC1), timer NE555 (IC2), transistors BC547 (T1) and SL100 (T2), a 12V 1C/O relay (RL1) and a few other components.

Circuit diagram of the water pump dry-run guard
Fig. 2: Circuit diagram of the water pump dry-run guard

To understand how this circuit works, assume that output pin 3 of IC2 is high during initial power up and, hence, the relay RL1 is in energised state. In this case, capacitor C4 at the input of IC2 will be charged via resistor R2 and potmeter VR2.

After a few seconds delay, voltage on C4 will reach a level that causes the inverter circuit (formed by IC2) to change state. IC2 output will flip to low level, and RL1 will be switched off by relay-driver transistor T2. Push-to-on restart switch S1 can be used for actuating this process from the beginning.

However, if presence of water is sensed by aqua-sensor probes (or water-level sensors) AS1 and AS2, C4 will be discharged endlessly by T1 to hold RL1 in its energised state. But, when a dry-run condition occurs (where no moisture is detected by AS1 and AS2), the inverter changes its state after a short delay (10 to 13 seconds). The time interval (delay) between state changes depends mainly on the setting of delay-adjustable preset pot VR2.

A 12V, 1A DC supply from any transformer based or SMPS power supply can be used for powering the entire circuit. Note that, in order to increase system stability, an onboard 5V regulated DC power supply is used here. The 5V DC regulator circuitry is realised using IC1, C1 and C2. Besides, VR1 is included in the aqua-sensor circuitry because distance between the master circuit and sensor probes may be rather large, so it can compensate for possible cable resistance.

Two closely-spaced (about 10mm apart) stainless-steel bolts may be used as aqua-sensor probes. For the interconnection, use any low-voltage twin-wire/cable with a length of 30 to 90 metres.

LED1 is the power-on indicator while LED2 functions as the motor-on indicator. Since output load is a power-hungry water-pump motor, a 12V DC power relay with AC 230V/30A switching capacity is highly recommended for flexible and reliable operation. Power supply to the output load must be routed through the common pole and N/O contact of this power relay.

Construction and testing

An actual-size, single-side PCB layout for the water pump dry-run guard is shown in Fig. 3 and its components layout in Fig. 4.

PCB layout of the water pump dry-run guard
Fig. 3: PCB layout of the water pump dry-run guard
Components layout of the PCB
Fig. 4: Components layout of the PCB

Download PCB and component layout PDFs: click here

After assembling the circuit on the PCB, connect the whole system as shown in the electrical wiring diagram in Fig. 5. System overview with a submersible bore-well pump is shown in Fig. 6. Connect the water-pump motor across CON3 and 230V AC mains across CON4.

Electrical wiring diagram
Fig. 5: Electrical wiring diagram

The circuit can also be fabricated on a medium-size perfboard. For mechanical reasons and to simplify construction, the electromagnetic relay should be kept at a distance from the circuit board. After successful construction and initial testing, enclose the whole system in a rigid plastic/metal container.

System overview with a submersible bore-well pump
Fig. 6: System overview with a submersible bore-well pump

Note that the prototype was tested with a 12V/100-ohm (AC 230V/30A DPDT) power relay. Power supply used was a 12V/1A linear power supply. Output load was a 1.5HP submersible bore-well pump. Test value of VR2 was 0-ohm (at 10 seconds delay), and value of VR1 was 500-kilo-ohm. Wire length of the aqua-sensor probes was around 30 metres.

Caution:
Shock hazard! Construction and connection of this circuit should only be carried out by qualified personnel, and all electrical safety regulations must be observed. In particular, it is essential to ensure that the relay chosen is appropriate for use with powerful water pumps, and is suitably rated to carry the required voltage and current.

 

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IoT starter kit Based on LTE Cat M1 and Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) Modules

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Thalwil, Switzerland – August 9, 2017 – u‑blox (SIX:UBXN), a global leader in wireless and positioning modules and chips, and Atoll Solutions Pvt, a leading IoT gateway platform, sensor node and wireless module provider, announce the availability of an IoT starter kit based on LTE Cat M1 and Narrowband IoT (NB-IoT) modules from u‑blox.

With an extensive Smart City program already announced, India’s infrastructure is moving towards low-power wide-area (LPWA) technologies to enable Smart Street Lighting and Smart Metering. The starter kit provides the perfect development platform for nodes and gateways based on LTE Cat M1 and NB-IoT.

Supporting both the NB-IoT (LTE Cat NB1) SARA-N2 and LTE Cat M1/NB1 SARA‑R4 module series from u‑blox, the starter kit will enable the rapid development of IoT solutions, ready for deployment in a Smart Grid. Future development will include complete reference designs incorporating other u‑blox solutions, including Bluetooth Low Energy and GNSS modules.

“Many leading cellular operators in India are already offering LTE Cat M1 and NB‑IoT support, with many more about to follow,” said Rado Sustersic, Product Manager, Product Center Cellular at u-blox. “This announcement will help accelerate the adoption of low-power wide-area (LPWA) technologies for Smart Cities and provide OEMs with the tools they need to get to market quickly.”

“Narrowband LTE has the power to add affordable and reliable connectivity to a wide range of assets, creating truly Smart Cities through Smart Lighting and Smart Metering”, commented Jithu Niruthambath, Founder and CEO of Atoll Solutions Pvt. “We believe this starter kit will enable our customers to build and deploy scalable solutions in the IoT with ease and confidence.”

Visitors to Automation Expo 2017 (9th to 12th August, Bombay Convention and Exhibition Center, Mumbai) will be able to see the Starter Kit in action on the Atoll Solutions stand.


 

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An introduction to MicroPython

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The MicroPython project is an open source implementation of Python 3 that includes a small subset of Python standard libraries, and is optimised to run on microcontrollers with constrained environments like limited ROM, RAM and processing power. It came about after a successful Kickstarter campaign by Damien George.

MicroPython Kickstarter campaign
Fig. 1: MicroPython Kickstarter campaign

What MicroPython is

MicroPython includes the standard Python interpreter that runs on small embedded development boards. With MicroPython you can write Python scripts to control hardware. For example, you can make LEDs blink, communicate with a temperature sensor, control motors and publish a sensor reading on the Internet. It is worth noting that the firmware for such embedded devices is generally coded in Assembly, C or C++, but by using MicroPython you can achieve almost the same results as with high-level Python.

What MicroPython is not

Unlike the desktop version of Python, MicroPython is a stripped-down version for microcontrollers; therefore it does not support all Python libraries and functionalities. In the world of microcontrollers, the firmware is directly burned to the ROM (also known as program memory), and there is no file system. MicroPython implements a minimal type of file system directly on the flash memory of the microcontrollers. If the device has 1MB or more of storage, then it will be set up (upon first boot) to contain a file system. This file system uses FAT format and is stored in the flash memory by MicroPython firmware. This gives you the benefit of being able to access, read and write files within the main Python program for flexible storage operations.

There are two files that are treated specially by ESP8266 when it starts up: boot.py and main.py. The former script is executed first (if it exists), and once it completes, the latter script is executed. You can create these files yourself and populate these with the code that you want to run when the device starts up. boot.py generally contains boot parameters like whether to have serial debugging on or off, which Wi-Fi AP to connect, main code to run and so on. Looping stays in main.py, for example, the logic for blinking LEDs.

It is also worth noting that microcontrollers are generally programmed in C, wherein direct registers are accessed and manipulated to use the peripherals of microcontrollers.Firmware code is cross-compiled and built for the target microcontroller architecture, and is flashed using a suitable programmer. MicroPython abstracts all these steps, but the constraint here is the real-time feature of microcontrollers, in general. Hence, MicroPython is not suitable for strict real-time applications.

Boards supported by MicroPython

There are numerous boards/chipsets supported by MicroPython, and more are expected to do so in the near future as the project matures. The current board support list is given below.

pyboard.

This is the official MicroPython board, which comes with full MicroPython support out-of-the-box. It features STM32F405RGT6 ARM Cortex M4 based processor. MicroPython supports APIs for almost all hardware peripherals of the chip like GPIO, I2C, SPI and UART.

The pyboard
Fig. 2: The pyboard

ESP8266.

MicroPython support for the low-cost Wi-Fi development ESP8266 microcontroller is excellent. Wi-Fi and Internet accessibility are made available within MicroPython using a special network library. There is also a Web based read-evaluate-print-loop (REPL) that allows you to run MicroPython code on ESP8266 using a Web browser within a local network.

ESP8266 microcontroller chip
Fig. 3: ESP8266 microcontroller chip

BBC micro:bit.

This is a new board aimed at teaching kids computer programming. Using MicroPython on micro:bit, you can access the board’s peripherals like LEDs and accelerometers.

BBC micro:bit
Fig. 4: BBC micro:bit

Note.

The full list of supported boards can be found at MicroPython website.

Library stacks supported by MicroPython

Python supports a variety of libraries on desktop computers, but porting these directly to a microcontroller is not an easy task as these are not optimised for running on machines with less RAM. Instead of making existing useful Python libraries available in MicroPython, these are stripped in order to be better optimised to run on constrained hardware. Current libraries supported by MicroPython are named with the initial u, which stands for Micro

Library implementation:
• ucollections – collection and container types
• uhashlib – hashing algorithm
• uheapq – heap queue algorithm
• uio – input/output streams
• ujson – JSON encoding and decoding
• uos – basic operating system services
• ure – regular expressions
• usocket – socket module
• ustruct – pack and unpack primitive data types
• utime – time-related functions
• uzlib – zlib decompression

Functionalities specific to MicroPython implementation are available in the following libraries:
• machine – for functions related to the board
• micropython – to access and control MicroPython internals
• network – for network configuration
• uctypes – to access binary data in a structured way

Following libraries are specific to pyboard:
• pyb – for functions related to the board
• Time-related functions
• Reset-related functions
• Interrupt-related functions

Note.

The full list of supported libraries can be found at MicroPython website.

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Remote Hacking | Security Threats | Blockchain and IoT

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175,000 IoT Cameras can be Remotely Hacked Thanks to Flaw, says Security Researcher

Over 100,000 internet-connected security cameras contain a “massive” security vulnerability that allows them to be accessed via the open web and used for surveillance, roped into a malicious botnet, or even exploited to hijack other devices on the same network.

Representing yet more Internet of Things devices that are exposed to cyber attackers, vulnerabilities have been uncovered in two cameras in Chinese manufacturer Shenzhen Neo Electronics’ NeoCoolCam range. Researchers at Bitdefender say the loopholes mean it’s trivial for outsiders to remotely attack the devices and that 175,000 of the devices are connected to the internet and vulnerable. Between 100,000 and 140,000 are detectable via the Shodan IoT device search engine alone. (Read More)


From Hacked Casino Fish Tanks to Malicious Links, Cybersecurity Threats are Everywhere and Startups are Raking in the Dough

Cybersecurity isn’t exactly new, but it’s becoming one of the hottest areas on the startup scene.With global malware attacks like WannaCry garnering widespread attention and press coverage, and companies and consumers growing increasingly worried about how security threats are rapidly evolving and diversifying, investors and entrepreneurs alike are seeing big opportunities.

“Security is a space where you see a lot of startups,” said Sarah Guo, an investor at Greylock Partners. “Everything is increasingly internet connected and if it’s internet connected, it’s vulnerable.

There’s a lot of new opportunities, and I personally believe the market will grow for a long time.” (Read More)


How Blockchain Could Revolutionize IoT Security

Any doubt that Internet of Things (IoT) devices have the ability to wreak digital havoc was removed during the last quarter of 2016 when IoT-device powered Mirai botnets handily disrupted internet service.

To find out why IoT devices are coming under attack, researchers at the University of Portsmouth analysed 55 systems for managing the IoT and found a majority had neither support for security or privacy, nor did they implement robust controls. Why is this the case?

In this University of Portsmouth press release, Paul Fremantle, a member of the University’s School of Computing, says, “There aren’t really strong incentives for manufacturers to update their systems to keep you safe….” Fremantle adds another likely reason is that IoT devices do not have enough processing capability and/or memory to implement strong security solutions. (Read More)


 

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Multilayered Approach | Security Appliance | Smart Thermostat

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Locking Down the IoT

Security and risk (S&R) professionals are under increasing pressure to secure IoT deployments to minimize the risk of data breaches, disruptive cyber attacks, and even physical attacks.

They anxiously seek IoT security solutions that can protect IoT devices and data in a cost-effective manner which does not hurt customer experience or digital business operations.

IoT device security is just one layer in an overall IoT security architecture. Successful IoT security requires a multilayered approach, which means S&R pros must implement various security technologies and vendors to protect their IoT deployments. (Read More)


Your Security Appliance is Essentially an IoT Device

It all starts with one question: Why are security officers hesitant to let go of their security appliances and move on to software or cloud-based offerings? There could be many answers to this question, but the fact is that these appliances largely live up to their namesake, i.e., emulate an overall feeling of security. CISOs don’t need to grapple with system managed devices, they have full control over their appliances, and there’s no need to report back.

These are all valid answers to the above question. However, there’s an alternative answer as to why CISOs are so attached to their security appliances: politics. The fact of the matter is that security appliances provide CISOs with a feeling of peace and quiet. To be frank, few within the organization care about which OS runs on the appliance, when the last upgrade was or when the appliance was last patched. (Read More)


IoT Security: How to Prevent your Smart Thermostat from Joining a Botnet

Although for many of us IoT presents an exciting new horizon to explore, this relatively new tech sector also opens up a great opportunity for hackers to wield their axe of destruction. While most computers and mobile devices now come with at least basic protocols and add-ons aimed at protecting us from exploits, billions of new IoT devices come into our lives without even basic means of protection.

Nevertheless, having an IoT gadget hacked can be equally detrimental as having a computer hacking. Today we’ll be looking at the most likely ways for hackers to try for access and how to prevent bad things from happening.

From the perspective of cyber attacks, a smart thermostat or a talking washing machine is no different than a computer. Any vulnerable device connected to your home or corporate network can serve as an entry point for a hacker. (Read More)


 

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Hybrid Power and Signal Connector Saves Cost And Space

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IP67-rated SuperCon Series connector combines power and data transmission to save cost and space in interface wiring applications.

GARNER N.C., August 10, 2017 — CONEC has launched a hybrid power and signal circular connector that saves time and costs for cabling, installation and maintenance for conventional wiring of applications like motors, servo drives, linear units/drives and more. By combining power supply and data transmission into one single connector, the compact SuperCon Series hybrid connector system saves space by eliminating the need for an additional wire and connector.

The rugged IP67-rated connector features a safe and secure connection via a bayonet locking mechanism.

The SuperCon Series is available in three different sizes, depending on specific applications: B12, B17 and B23. While the number of pins and the permitted voltages vary depending on the size, the 360 degree shielded data core is always the same and is designed for industrial Ethernet Cat 5 with wire cross section AWG22.

Each pin layout is available with a minimum of two different codings that are marked by different color rings. Thus, mismating is impossible.

Sockets are available in various housing variants for front- and back panel mounting and the installation heights vary on the outside or the inside of the housing. Thus, decentralized wiring chains can be realized with and without daisy chain topology with a cost saving one-cable solution.


 

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Energy From Mountains | Advanced Adiabatic Compressed Air Energy Storage

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